Geoff Gage (Paul) returns to San Diego where he is on military leave from Vietnam to attend a funeral. He meets with David Korn (Thesp) and Andrea Cagan (Melissa) on his route home and is invited in to their hippie commune. Cagan takes him home but these two fall in love with each other and Gage visits the commune and hangs out with her crowd. However, the commune ethos is very much anti-war and they also like their drugs. Gage is required to return to complete his military service but can love conquer all and change a man's beliefs?
This is an anti-war film that has good natural acting with a strong message and also serves as a documentary time-capsule of the times. Gage has a conflict to resolve – should he return to fight in the war because it is what he is told he must do or can he dismiss orders and behave as he likes. The temptation is certainly there for him. We get bands playing, footage of a demonstration, kaleidoscope love scenes – these go on a bit long in my opinion, some drug running and the film puts you in a certain place in history.
Scenes can be hard-hitting – the war scenes and flashbacks – contrasted against the routines of life outside of war. An example is when Gage's friend asks him what the girls are like out in Vietnam, he has heard that they will do anything. We then cut to a flashback memory of Gage's where he has just shot a girl dead as she was fighting for the 'enemy'. It's a powerful way of portraying the differences in outlook for those in the war and those outside of the war.
It's a film that shows the meaningless of war with an ending that hits home. It also makes you want to smoke a spliff. Unfortunately, I don't know any dealers any more.
This is an anti-war film that has good natural acting with a strong message and also serves as a documentary time-capsule of the times. Gage has a conflict to resolve – should he return to fight in the war because it is what he is told he must do or can he dismiss orders and behave as he likes. The temptation is certainly there for him. We get bands playing, footage of a demonstration, kaleidoscope love scenes – these go on a bit long in my opinion, some drug running and the film puts you in a certain place in history.
Scenes can be hard-hitting – the war scenes and flashbacks – contrasted against the routines of life outside of war. An example is when Gage's friend asks him what the girls are like out in Vietnam, he has heard that they will do anything. We then cut to a flashback memory of Gage's where he has just shot a girl dead as she was fighting for the 'enemy'. It's a powerful way of portraying the differences in outlook for those in the war and those outside of the war.
It's a film that shows the meaningless of war with an ending that hits home. It also makes you want to smoke a spliff. Unfortunately, I don't know any dealers any more.